Going into the NCAA tournament, the big questions regarding Memphis were its lack of challenging games as a result of playing in a non-power conference and the Tigers' well-publicized shortcomings at the free throw line.
As the tournament progressed, it became obvious Memphis had the talent to play with anyone in the country. But, in the end, its Achilles heel proved to be Memphis' undoing.
The Tigers shot well from the stripe for most of the tournament except when it counted most – in the waning minutes of regulation as they squandered a nine-point lead en route to a 75-68 loss in overtime.
The victory gave Kansas its third national the title and its first since Danny & The Miracles did the business exactly 20 years earlier.
I'm still wondering why Memphis didn't foul when it still enjoyed a three-point lead and Kansas was still trying to get off a shot with less than five seconds left in regulation.
Instead, Mario Chalmers launched – and made – one of the most memorable shots in championship game history with 2.1 seconds left on the clock.
The overlooked turning point in the game came when Memphis big man Joey Dorsey fouled out on a needless perimeter bump. Without their intimidating shot-blocker to patrol the paint, Kansas started attacking the basket with success to get back in the game.
And what was up with freshman sensation Derrick Rose down the stretch? The talented youngster sure didn't seem to keen about taking the big shots.
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